


Red

by eddiesgazebos



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Cute, Fluff, Romance, Soulmate AU, Sweet, soft, soulmate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-26 10:21:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15661284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eddiesgazebos/pseuds/eddiesgazebos
Summary: the one where Eddie doesn't have his sign of a soulmate until he meets Richie.





	Red

"Soulmate; a person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner."

Eddie Kaspbrak sighed heavily as he fixed his backpack on his shoulder and stared up at the banner that hung over the front doors to the high school he attended. The annoying emoji like hearts that surrounded the dreadful words almost made Eddie sick every time he stared at that damn banner.

Teens stood around, holding hands with their soulmate while making the ugliest of kissy faces toward each other. How did Eddie know they were soulmates? Easy. They had matching streak colors.

The morning of every teens' fourteenth birthday, they'd wake up with a new look. Something such as a streak of color would appear in their hair. For those who didn't have hair, a heart of a certain color would appear on the side of their head, just above the ear. 

When Eddie woke up on his fourteenth birthday, he hurried to throw the sheets from his body. He rolled across his bed, jumped to his feet, and dashed for the mirror that waited for him in his bathroom. He closed his eyes before he could see his own reflection and took a few deep breaths. 

This was it. Eddie was about to see the very color that would tell him just who he would spend the rest of his future with. As he opened his eyes, he stared in the mirror. His eyes gazed along his reflection, searching for that colorful strand. He felt an earthquake taking place in his chest.

He pushed his hair around, running his fingers through the soft strands that fell back into place as his fingers would part from them. Brown...Brown...Brown.. Eddie even grabbed a handheld mirror and turned around to check the back of his head. Brown.

Where was his color?

Eddie could remember it all as if it was yesterday. Even though it was almost two years ago. Every day, he hoped to wake to a beautiful streak in his hair like the rest of the people of the world. But his dreams always crashed as soon as his eyes met the mirror.

The bullying was horrible and the teasing was a shot to the heart. Even almost two years later and the newly fourteen-year-olds had to rub it in his face that he would be forever alone. Every single day, he'd hear those damn remarks. Every single day, he wanted to run away and never see another soul. 

Eddie sighed heavily as he walked to his locker. He gave a slight nod to one of his best friends, Beverly. She stood across the hall at her own locker, a dark strand of purple blended beautifully in with her red hair. Her boyfriend, Ben, stood beside her with the same color contrasting with his own blonde hair.

Eddie forced a smile to the loving couple before turning to his locker and unlocking the lock. He turned each letter until the word "ALONE" was formed across the lock. One tug downward and the locker was free to open.

He opened the metal door and looked in at the books that were stacked neatly on the shelves. He loaded his backpack for the first few classes.

"Hey, lone wolf! Still no color, eh?" a young girl with two braids falling down past her shoulders yelled from down the hall, just a few lockers away. Eddie turned to look at the girl and of course, his eyes found that neon magenta highlight running through her braid. 

"Ah, don't let her get to you. Sometimes I wish I didn't have a color either" a tall geeky senior, with a thick pink streak in his bangs, snorted from across the hall of the first girl. The boy standing beside him gasped and hit the geek's chest. 

"Dickhead!" the other boy had the same streak. Eddie cracked a tiny smile at them as they started to bicker. He shut his locker door and walked down the hall toward his first class. English.

He felt the gaze of every person he passed. He knew each set of eyes were searching his head of hair for the color that never appeared. He could just imagine the cocky smirks that would spread over their face too. They were the lucky ones. He was not.

Eddie turned down the next hall and dodged each student taking up the middle of the floor. He was careful not to make contact and maneuvered around them like a snake searching for home through tall grass. 

He was doing just fine until he passed the double doors that marked the entrance of the school. He had looked away from his path, just for a moment. That moment was a moment too long. His small body collided with a much taller body. 

Both bodies crashed to the hard tiled floor. Loud grunts escaped both mouths as their bodies collided onto the floor. Eddie laid in shock on top of the victim student. He slowly moved his eyes from the wall and looked at the person laying under him.

"Hey you dick, are you going to get up?" a jumbled set of words flooded from the victim's mouth. Eddie's eyes gazed over the pale face of a boy he had never seen. The boy's glasses were crooked from the fall and his face scrunched in anger. He wore an ugly cap facing backward.

"Oh.. Um.. I'm so sorry.." Eddie muttered nervously. He quickly stood up and felt his cheeks heating up as if a fire was dancing along his skin.

"Yeah, you should be" the boy rolled his eyes and stood up. He fixed his shirt and jeans before picking his backpack up from the floor. 

"Richard, be nice. I'm sure that was just an accident" a woman walked over to them and rested her hand on Richie's shoulder. The woman looked at Eddie and a wide smile spread across her face. "Oh, well, you two can get to know each other. Richie, your father and I will get everything worked out in the office"

"Yeah, whatever" Richie groaned and watched as the woman walked away. He then looked at Eddie and stared at his hair. Eddie rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over the chest.

"Alright new kid, get the teasing over with. I bet you can't come up with something I've never heard before. Here's some help. I've heard 'lone wolf', 'old cat lady', and a bunch others. Alright, take your pick"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Richie asked. His eyebrow raised and his fingers fumbled with his glasses nervously.

"I don't have a color" Eddie stated. He ran his fingers through his hair and clenched a fist. "So, get it over with or stop staring"

"Um, are you color blind?" Richie asked. 

"What?" Eddie glared at the new kid. 

"You're red" Richie reached up to run his fingers through Eddie's hair. Eddie's eyes widened a little and he backed up to escape Richie's prying fingers.

"No I'm not" Eddie inhaled sharply. "Am I?" his eyes stung. His heart skipped a beat and he could feel the asthma attack threatening to make an appearance. Richie nodded and pointed at the full-length mirrors on the wall. Eddie looked over and stared at his reflection.

A vibrant red streak ran throughout his chocolate hair. He finally had his color. A smile slowly appeared on Eddie's face and tears climbed to the top of his bottom eyelids. 

"Earth to red boy" Richie laughed through his reply from the side of him. Eddie snapped his gaze to look at the new kid. He blushed and shook his head. He couldn't remember seeing anybody with this shade of red in their hair. 

"Shut it" Eddie laughed gently. He rubbed his neck and bit his bottom lip. "I'm Eddie. What was your name again?" Richie just grinned at him and reached up to remove the hat that rested on his head. As his dark brown curls came into view, Eddie's eyes widened. His heartbeat felt faster than a car. 

There, in those dark brown curls, was a streak of vibrant red.

"Guess you can just call me soulmate" Richie smirked.


End file.
